Health Minister Fahrettin Koca on Monday confirmed Turkey’s first cases of the coronavirus delta plus variant, a mutation of the delta variant first discovered in India.
Assuring the public of the new strain, Koca said three cases of the new delta plus variant were reported in three provinces.
Speaking to the media after a Cabinet meeting, he also confirmed a rise in delta variant cases, which now stood at 284 in 30 provinces.
Health authorities have said several major vaccines work against the highly contagious delta variant, which is becoming dominant globally, but raised concerns new strains may evade some vaccines. Some scientists say the delta plus variant may be even more contagious.
Turkey, which lifted most coronavirus restrictions on July 1, has reported nearly 5.5 million COVID-19 cases and some 50,000 deaths in total. The country’s vaccination program has ramped up daily shots to more than a million.
“The delta plus (variant) was seen in three people in three separate provinces, including one in Istanbul,” Koca said. “These people are in good condition,” he added.
Koca said Turkey currently had some 8 million shots and would receive another 26 million Pfizer-BioNtech doses this month, and 1.5 million doses of Sinovac next week.
